Arabic vocabulary
عَكَسَto reverse in Arabic
عَكَسَ is how you say “to reverse” in Arabic. Hear it pronounced and see it used in real example sentences from classical texts below.
Root ع ك س (ʿ-k-s)verb (form I)Pronounced ʿakasa
Meaning of to reverse in Arabic
- to reverse something, putting its last part first and first part last
- to invert or transpose the order of words in speech
- to reflect, as a mirror reflects an image — an extension of the reversal sense, since the image in a mirror is reversed
- to tie a camel's head or foreleg backward to restrain it — a specific pastoral/camel-handling usage
The common phrase بِٱلْعَكْسِ (bi-l-ʿaks), 'on the contrary, vice versa,' comes straight from this root's core sense of reversal. Classical usage also covers technical, non-figurative senses, such as restraining a camel by tying its head or leg backward.
Words from the same root
- عَكْسٌthe reverse, the opposite; the contrary
- انعكسto become reversed; to be reflected
- مَعْكُوسٌreversed, inverted, upside down
- عكّسto say the opposite of what is meant
- مُعَاكَسَةٌmutual opposition, contending against
Common questions
- How do you say "to reverse" in Arabic?
- ʿakasa (عَكَسَ).
- What does بالعكس (bi-l-ʿaks) mean?
- Literally 'by the reverse' — i.e. 'on the contrary' or 'vice versa,' built from the same root as عَكَسَ.
Definitions synthesised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).
Example sentences
فَإذْ عَكَسْتَ الْحَالَ
So when you reverse the state,
عَكَسْتَ — you reverse. Past-tense verb 'reversed, inverted', 'you' form (the '-ta' = you).
From: Resisting Temptation →يَجِبُ تقديمُ مسحِ الوجهِ على مسحِ اليدين؛ فلو عَكَسَ ناسيًا لم يصحّ على المذهب
The wiping of the face must precede the wiping of the hands; if reversed inadvertently, it is not valid according to the school of thought.
عَكَسَ — he reversed. 'he reversed [the order],' the case-verb under 'if' — did the hands before the face. The past form after this kind of 'if' reads as a supposition; the result (invalid) comes after.
From: The Practice of Earth Cleansing →
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